Minutes - Anti-Privatization Committee

Posted January 26, 2010 in Anti-Privatization Committee and tagged with anti-privatization

Headquarters Edmonton
The meeting was called to order

ROLL CALL

Present:
Karen Weiers, Chair, Local 095 Airdrie
Chris Christianson, Local 012 Edmonton
Brian Cook, Local 012 Coaldale
Darcy Dafoe, Local 050 Stettler
Tim Jackson, Vice chair, Local 003 Calgary
Julie Jacque, Local 047 Spruce Grove
Marilyn Jones, Secretary, Local 041 Medicine Hat
Bruce Macdonald, Local 046 St. Albert
Nancy Rakowski, Local 054 Edmonton

Staff Advisor: Desiree Schell

Guests:
Guy Smith, President
Sandra Azocar, VP
David Climenhaga, Staff
Courtney Rosborough, Staff

CALL TO ORDER

STATEMENT OF EQUALITY – Acknowledged by Committee

ADOPTION OF AGENDA (1) MOTION: To adopt the Agenda.
Properly moved and seconded. CARRIED

ADOPTION OF PREVIOUS MINUTES
(2) MOTION: To adopt the minutes of Dec 2, 2009
Properly moved and seconded. CARRIED

CORRESPONDENCE

• Request for President Smith to attend meeting
• Request for Courtney R to meet committee members

OLD BUSINESS

• Contact Information (see attachment #1) – Corrections and updates made on the list that will be used for liason contacts.
• Briefcases – They were ordered, Tim already received his.
• Printer/Scanner – Marilyn has attained one for her personal use will submit ink refills expenses as required.
• Book – Shock Doctrine – Discussion about why it was important to have for the members of this committee. Members expressed that after reading this book, they wanted to be more involved in the anti-privatization movement. We want to extract information from the book. Great tool. These books can also be used by the Locals.
• 5 year plan revised (see attachment #2)
• Local Liasons – Committee Members assigned to locals (see attachment #3)
• Previous Resolutions
  • Million Dollar Campaign Resolution from 2009 – 2-2 THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that AUPE budget One (1) million dollars to launch a Public Awareness Campaign on the cost and effects of privatization to Albertans. This committee visualizes a campaign to keeping the public services public not for profit. Discussion held as to how involved we will be able to be. To be discussed with the President when he attends our meeting.
  • Visiting Locals Resolution from 2005 – 5-3 THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Standing Committee on Anti-Privatization meet jointly, with (1) one representative of each local’s Anti-Privatization Sub-Committee, at least once annually. This committee reviewed this resolution and discussed how this can happen. Many letters have been sent to Locals encouraging them to form a subcommittee for Anti-Privatization. We will send another letter with the same encouragement and mention that we are willing to meet with them.
• Impact Article – This is a quarterly thing. The deadline was January 10, 2010. It was requested prior to the deadline that the Fact Card be submitted. It was also requested that we submit our Committee photo with our names accompanying so that Locals would be able to put a face to our names when we send out our liason sheets to the Locals. The photo may not happen due to space availability.
• Seminar – Naomi Klein, author “Shock Doctrine” has been out of the country at this point we are unable to connect with her. We need to consider new speaker(s). It was discussed that the committee postpone having a seminar in 2010, due to the mobilization campaign that is currently rolling out (which should be taking the forefront) as well as the Health Care Sector Conference in June. It was discussed that we could plan for 2011, which would enable the seminar to possibly have a better member response. Due to time restraints we will concentrate on Local Subcommittees for this year and the seminar for next year.
• AUMA (Alberta Urban Municipalities Association) – Marilyn will check out and see when this conference is being held. Discussion held as to whether this is actually a venue for AUPE to be at. One of our committee members has attended this and has voiced that if we are going to do it, it needs to be well thought out and organized.
• Local Issues
  • Local 009 (Health Therapy & Instit. Patient Sup. Serv.)
    • No admittance Policy therefore they are losing residences and losing jobs along with staff transfers
    • Only hiring part-time/casual workers/threat of transfer.
    • Tim and Karen attended their council meeting and made suggestions as to where they could start as a sub-committee and provided some educational tools. Will remain in touch with this Local.
    • Committee will voice concerns to the President about the “no admittance policy” as well as see if this can fit into the bed shortages currently happening in Alberta Health Services. Will request the researchers to see what the “no admittance policy” is and the committee will see if there is a possible avenue that can be taken by Local or AUPE to change that.
  • Local 095 (GSS Calgary Region)
    • In the mist of contracting out Protection Services members. The unionized people will be working side by side with the non-union worker(s). They have a petition started on the website, SOS link to send to all members for support, along with pamphlets etc. There is also a rumor that other areas with be privatized. Tim & Karen attended meeting and provided education.
  • Local 005 (Natural Resources Conservation Services)
    • There is a proposal to establish a non government organization that will support trail clubs in several ways.
  • Local 006 (Social Services)
    • Sandra A reported that Children Services is going to an Outcome Based Program in regions 7, 8 & 9. Effective March 2010, an outside source gets the money. They do not directly deal with the families, but are directing the programming. The staff voiced frustration with the quality of care that is being put in place for the families. The staff is held responsible, but do not have a say. She brought this forward for information purposes and possible support in the future.
  • Local 054 (GSS Capital Region)
    • Nancy R brought forth issues. Rural labs are being closed. Looking and dealing with private couriers, for patients and supplies. Housekeeping heard that HR will be privatizing non-patient areas. Foodservices for the geriatric program, staff may lose jobs because they are moving patients and the funding. It was suggested that she find out if there subcommittee has initiated anything in regards to any of these issues or verified if any of it is rumors. Will await the response from the subcommittee to see how we can be an aide in their action plan.
    • Alberta Health Services is running a test pilot called Work Place Transformation Initiative rolling out in April 2010 at the University of Alberta Hospital. (see attachment #4)

NEW BUSINESS

• Candidate questions/ideas – COPA (Glenn Scott) -asked that this committee come up with two questions to put forward to the Provincial and Federal candidates. Committee requested to think about this and bring it forward to the next meeting.
• Committee Name – This has come up numerous times, over the life of this committee. Concern brought forward that some Locals are private companies. This is not the context of private utilized in this committee name.

(3) MOTION: To keep the name of the committee the same. Properly moved and seconded. CARRIED

• Anti-Privatization presentation Tool-Kit (Teaching package) – Reviewed and revised. The following will be added the communication tool, fact sheet, the liason list and a document as to why Locals need sub-committees.
• Business Cards – We will look into cost of cards from AUPE, if any as well as what we want on card along with how many we can order. On hold for further discussion
• PIA Conference (Public Interest Alberta) – April 8, 9 & 10th in Edmonton, Alberta @ the Chateau Louis Hotel & Conference Centre,11727 Kingsway Ave NW

(4) MOTION: That the committee send up to 5 (five) committee members to the PIA Conference in Edmonton April 8, 9, and 10th 2010. Properly moved and seconded CARRIED

• Letter to Local Chairs & Subcommittee members (see attachment #5 ) – Two letters will be developed. One to the Local Chairs and Subcommittees members that will have the following: Local liason list; presentation tool kit with fact card; request to visit Locals and request for the minutes to be sent into the Standing Committee. The second letter is to the Subcommittee members and will be to make them aware of current situations and to start the communication flow.
• Save Alberta Hospital Town Hall Meeting – Committee members encouraged to attend if at all able to attend. January 27th 7:00-8:30 pm at the Steinhauer-Southminister United Church
• Join Together Alberta (see attachment #7) – A new-Province wide campaign to get Albertans to join together for Public Services. All members are encouraged to attend a meeting in their area.
• MLA link – Members to look at the following link and bring thoughts back to next meeting. http://alberta.ca/home/Newsframe.cfm?ReleaseID=/acn/200911/273450851FC86-92F6-38F2-6606535870BCEDB1.html
• Copy of collective agreements – Request was to see if the committee needed a copy of each collective agreement to be an aid in finding out what classifications are covered in each Local. After discussion it was decided that this was not an issue, we will look up information on the web-site prior to meeting with individual locals.
• Resolution Public Awareness Privatization – Reviewed how the committee envisions the $1,000,000 being spent. David C attended our meeting to discuss this campaign. Committee request was to be involved or know what was happening regarding the campaign. The committee will work with David C enmeshing the vision.
• President Smith – The committee asked the President how he envisioned the relationship between the mobilization campaign and the Anti-Privatization Committee and encouraged that the relationship is foreseen as working well together towards a common goal. The committee maybe called on. The Committee informed the President of the situation in Local 009 and asked if by some chance the availability of the bed situation or lack of use for could somehow be brought into the healthcare spotlight. The “No Admittance policy” was mentioned as well. Committee voiced that we would like to have the, AUPE staff, researchers look into this. The concerns in Locals 005, 006, 054 and 095 were also voiced for his information.
• Dates (tentative) for Committee Meetings
  • March 17th & 18th Edmonton, 9:00 a.m. ** April 8th 9th & 10th Edmonton PIA ** May 3rd & 4th Calgary 9:00 a.m.
  • June 28th & 29th Edmonton 9:00 a.m. ** August 9th & 10th Calgary 9:00 a.m.
  • Sept 8th & 9th Edmonton 9:00 a.m. ** Nov 1st & 2nd Calgary 9:00 a.m.
  • Oct 13th -16th Edmonton Convention
  • Dec 9th & 10th Edmonton 9:00 a.m.
• Goals of current committee – On hold for further discussion

MEETING DATE

The next Anti-Privatization Committee meeting will be held on March 17th & 18th, commencing at 9:00 a.m. @ Solidarity Place in Edmonton

ADJOURNMENT
(5) MOTION: To adjourn. Properly moved and seconded. CARRIED

The meeting adjourned at 4:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Karen Weiers, Chair
Distribution: Anti-Privatization Committee Provincial Executive